Large and bright meteor spotted in Kyushu, Japan
Large and bright meteor spotted in Kyushu, Japan
2025-08-20
The night skies just south of Japan’s main island had flares almost as bright as daylight when a large meteor, known scientifically as a bolide passed through the atmosphere. The event was witnessed by many locals in the area. An expert says the meteoroid that gave the sightings may have been larger than 10m in diameter.
After 11 p.m. on Tuesday, flares appeared in the skies around Kagoshima and Kumamoto in Japan, almost as bright as daylight. A footage captured at a fishing port shows what appears to be a fireball falling from above.
This fireball penetrated the atmosphere and fell onto the Earth’s surface. In some parts of Kyushu and Shikoku the scene was accompanied by thundering sounds. In the end, it fell into the ocean off Kyushu.
Duan Hao-yuan
Taipei Astronomical Museum researcher
This one here is called a bolide, because it’s really bright. But we can’t know for sure if it fell on land. It depends on whether it’s fully abraded.
Many locals there witnessed the bolide event. It was also captured by cameras at Kobe Airport and Kansai International Airport, changing colors from blue-green to orange-red as it fell. Some onlookers even witnessed the extraordinary event while driving.
Astronomical museum visitor
I’ve seen a meteor before, but I wasn’t quick enough to make a wish. If I were there, I might wonder whether it could be a fallen satellite.
Astronomical museum visitor
I would be quite surprised at first, then I’d go check online to see if anyone else also saw it.
The expert also says that if the meteoroid was large enough that it couldn’t be completely worn away before hitting the Earth’s surface, the remaining debris would be called a meteorite, which is usually quite small.
Duan Hao-yuan
Taipei Astronomical Museum researcher
The probability of a meteor occurring is the same everywhere in the world. Just two days ago one meteor was recorded near the eastern coast of Taiwan.
As for its potential impact on the planet, the expert also says there’s nothing to worry unless the meteoroid is so large its diameter is measured in tens of meters. But even so, people shouldn’t be too worried because scientists all over the world are all keeping watch for any meteor events.
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#space #meteor #bolide #meteorshower #amazing
"神秘火球"直墜鹿兒島 專家:疑似火流星隕石劃破夜空
2025-08-20
日本九州、四國和近畿地區，昨天(19日)晚上，一顆巨大火球劃過天際，瞬間照亮夜空，最後疑似落進鹿兒島附近海域，有不少民眾都目睹這畫面，就有專家推測，這可能是"火流星"，也就是比往常巨大的隕石，在進入大氣層之前，直徑可能超過10公尺。
19日深夜11點多，日本鹿兒島、熊本週遭，突然有這奇景，整個夜空瞬間變白天，就連漁港前的鏡頭君，也完整記錄下這瞬間，不少日本居民都目擊火球從天而降。
這顆火球穿過大氣層進到地球，九州、四國部分地區，都聽得到劇烈震動、伴隨打雷跟爆炸聲，最後掉進鹿兒島附近海域。
[[台北市立天文館助理研究員 段皓元]]
“這顆叫作火流星，是因為它非常的亮，但是它到底有沒有掉到地上不曉得，就看它有沒有燒光”
不少民眾都目擊這一瞬間，神戶機場即時觀測鏡頭，以及關西機場也明顯拍到火球從藍綠色轉成橘紅色，快速墜落，還有民眾開車，遠遠也看到火球，車上乘客驚呼連連。
[[天文館民眾]]
“我看過流星，但來不及許願。感覺像是類似衛星掉下來之類的”
[[天文館民眾]]
“可能會先驚奇吧，然後看網路上有沒有人看到”
專家解釋，如果石頭夠大顆，還沒有燒光就掉在地上，撿起來就叫隕石，通常掉到地面，幾乎已經先自體燃燒瘦身成小小一塊。
[[台北市立天文館助理研究員 段皓元]]
“基本上全球機率是一樣的，兩天前東海岸也有拍到一顆流星”
除非遠遠的這顆火球，是幾十公尺大的流星，才可能有影響，科學家也都在監測，如果真的幸運看到，就許願吧！
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